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8 thoughts on “The First Enemy of Purpose”

What are the enemies of purpose?
Negativity before they even know the facts. People who don’t listen or pay attention.

How might leaders defeat the enemies of purpose?
Be clear with the picture being illustrated, promote an understanding for the betterment of the group/company/ facility etc. that will evolve when the plan is implemented.
Make sure you have all the facts.
Perhaps list similar events with their results, factful information will tailor factful designs.

Dan,
Don’t invite them :-)?
Seriously, I think make a request to all listen attentively and when complete, give them time to respond, knowing we will listen to their viewpoints as well in a team sense.

Some times you can get someone to refocus. Turn them around in their chair and they are now rowing the same way with just a slightly and maybe benefited view. You are right if you cant get them to support the team move them out or on. In one year I have lost 1/2 of my new team for that reason.

This really resonates with me as this morning I’m faced with detractors and people rowing any way but forward. I’d be interested to get thoughts on when the barriers to doing something that fulfills a purpose are people you can’t throw out of the boat organizationally, on cross functional teams or subject matter experts that report through others.Unfortunately within company politics, organizational structure, or project responsibility, it’s not as easy as throwing them out and moving forward with only true believers. Do you take a step back to see what their “purpose” is to move the company in a meaningful direction in a way that others also fulfill their purpose, or abandon initiatives that don’t have the backing of believers in the purpose they’re working towards? Do these thoughts only apply to ways that we fulfill our personal purpose that we’re able to fully control and go with other similar purposed people? No easy answers I’m sure, but I’d be interested in your’ perspective!

before distraction and distrust (those who appear to resist or obstruct),

is Nonsense.

If your stated purpose has a deviation between these two criteria, then its articulation is nonsense:

1. Quit bono? Who benefits?
2. Who pays?

If they are not substantially the same, then the purpose is necessarily suspect, and most reactionary responses will be increasingly nonsensical,

creating a tautology (circular argument) that will get unpersuasive, and will require increasingly manipulative/coercive tactics to succeed… usually 180 degrees in opposition to the original objective.

Negative mindset sabotage others as this makes them feel good. They live off other peoples failures and try to sabotage their successes. I think recruitment is key to filtering out the unproductive thinkers from the productive thinkers.